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Entry /
EtherealIncursionAn Ethereal Incursion is a focal weakening of the boundaries between the Ethereal Plane and our material plane leading to a site of planar fusion, allowing influx of Ethereal creatures into our material plane (and vice-versa). Ethereal creatures seem particularly drawn to these weak spots, and flood into our plane when a merger occurs. These fusion events are unstable and transient, and if left alone will cease after a time. Certain regions of our plane appear predisposed as weak spots, and may suffer repeated Incursions. These planar mergers, while they are active, are a unique circumstance that can allow successful placement and activation of a kyuem. When properly sited near the breach, a kyuem can be powered up by extreme ether flow, leading to stabilization of the breach as a two-way portal between our plane and the Ethereal Plane. However, even successfully activated Incursion kyuems seem to go inert after a short time, in contrast to the continuously-active kyuems erected by the Brion brothers. One theory for this is that ethereal flow through even these regions of the Material Plane tends not to be of the torrential quality that would be necessary to naturally maintain an active kyuem. Unfortunately, Ethereal creatures thrive on ether flows, and interfere with the kyuem activation. Ether-trained Mystics have successfully activated kyuems during Incursions only when a force of exiles is strong enough to subdue the continuous waves of Ethereal creatures, before they can devour all the ether racing toward the activating kyuem. Losing control of the area often leads to failure of the kyuem to activate, preventing stabilization of the weak spot between the two planes. Unlike most invasions, Ethereal Incursions are preceded by events (planar damage apparently resulting from the use of Ethereal Portal Stones) that are detectable by exiles wearing Ethereal Amulets. Mystics highly trained in the use of amulets can even predict, with variable accuracy, where and when an Incursion will occur. The generally accepted view of these events comes from Melabrion, who warned exiles in the Year 565 that overuse of Ethereal Portal Stones was damaging the boundaries between the Ethereal Plane and our material plane. Indeed, wearers of ethereal amulets sense planar damage some portion of the time that they sense an Ethereal Portal Stone being used to open a portal. Melabrion placed all blame squarely on our shoulders, and stated that he and his brothers were working hard to avert disaster. However, at the very beginning of these "Ether Wars" in late 565, Tenebrion was felt to be fallen in the Annulus area of the Ethereal Plane, which was found to be overrun with Clouds of Ether, at the same time that his island was overrun with Greater Deaths and other Darshak. Tenebrion had previously commented that the Annulus was a doorway that he was seeking to open, and had once before had a serious accident there, leading to the loss of his memory. The discovery in 567 of Tenebrion's remains at the Annulus, which is now very evidently cracked open by some great release of energy, fueled the alternative explanation that Tenebrion's experiments here are what weakened the Ethereal Plane boundaries. A third of the 'brion brothers, Lugubrion, insists to the contrary that Tenebrion only made his trip to the Annulus after the planar merger began. In any case, exiles at the time worked to stabilize the planes by activating kyuems at the site of every Incursion event, in the hopes that these Incursions would then cease. This effort was successful. Lugubrion was involved in advising exiles' response to the Incursions. Between storms he was observed making repairs to the always-active kyuems placed by the brothers in the Ethereal Plane, and foretold a grim future if the Incursions were not stabilized. In a visionstone provided by Phroon, it was seen that Lugubrion's Keep also fell victim to the volatile leaking of Ether and Ethereal beasts into the Material Plane. |
